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WESTERN LEADER, JANUARY 20, 2012
NEWS
Use your outdoor living
areas all year round
Freephone 0800 20 19 25 | www.archgola.co.nz
WEST AUCKLAND
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• Stylish & permanent
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Lawrence Stanaway
arch_WAjan12 Davis Funerals presents
"Jazz in the Vines" for
Hospice West Auckand
"Jazz in the Vines" with Leza Corban will be
held on the 12th February 2012 between
2-5pm, to raise funds for Hospice West
Auckland. Tickets $20.
Provided is a great venue, the Jazz, and
free tea and coffee. BYO wine and food or
alternatively food and wine can be purchased.
For more information call us today
150 Central Park Drive, Henderson
Henderson 09 835 3557
Mt Eden
Pakuranga
09 638 9026 09 576 7108
Also at
PLYWOODS PANELS
PRODUCTS
Stockists of: MDF - WHITEBOARD - RIMU
TEAK - OAK VENEERS - CARAVAN PLYWOOD
EPOXY RESINS & FILLERS
YOUR ONE STOP PANEL SHOP
OPEN 6 DAYS - SAT 8.30am - 1pm
70 The Concourse, Henderson
www.plyman.co.nz
PLUS 3.6MM WALL LINING
CLEARANCE AND MORE
FROM $24
FREE LOAN TRAILER
10% OFF WITH THIS AD
CUTTING
SERVICE
GABOON
LIGHTWEIGHT
4mm $59.50
6mm $74.60
9mm $99.80
12mm $109.00
18mm $158.35
CD Untreated
7mm $38.21
9mm $47.01
12mm $61.50
15mm $74.75
17mm $82.68
21mm $99.66
MERANTI B/BB
MARINE PLY
3.6mm $30.76
6mm $49.33
9mm $66.87
12mm $83.05
15mm $99.08
18mm $118.92
22mm $187.38
25mm $205.40
CD Treated
7m m $51.52
9mm $64.54
12m m $74.59
17mm $103.57
PINE CONSTRUCTION
3998441AH
Libraries celebrate Chinese New Year
Libraries are celebrating
the Chinese Year of the
Dragon with activities,
displays, stories and
presentations.
Auckland Libraries
spokeswoman Abigael
Vogt says there s some-
thing for everyone.
We have a huge range
of activities and displays
to celebrate the diversity
of our library communi-
ties, she says.
There are activities for
teenagers and kids, and
adults can do research
and computer classes.
The Year of the
Dragon runs from Janu-
ary 23 to February 9,
2013. Go to www.auck-
landlibraries.
co.nz for information.
IN BRIEF
Man found
A 65-year-old man reported
missing from his home in Te
Atatu since January 13 was
found on Wednesday.
Garrick Protheroe was found
at Karekare Beach by a
Search and Rescue team who
were in the area and was
taken to Waitakere Hospital
to be treated for minor
exposure.
The Search and Rescue team
were in the area where they
were looking for a female
tramper who was reported
missing but she too has been
found safe and well.
Whose shield?
Police would like to find the
owner of this shield.
It was found outside the
Guide Hall on Fairdene Ave,
Henderson, in October and
was handed into the
Waitakere police station.
It is a Maori wood carving
shield with bone and the
words ''The Chiefs Challenge
Shield'' on it.
Phone senior sergeant Ross
Hunter on 839-0600.
Family threatened
Police were called to a house
in New Lynn on January 13
after a gang member
threatened a family over an
outstanding debt.
The man left but was later
located after he returned to
the property.
A 28-year-old man appeared
in the Waitakere District Court
on January 14 on charges
relating to threats and
possession of a firearm.
He was remanded in custody
to reappear on January 20.
Here's to clever cookies
Supply and demand: Mrs Higgins director Markus Hasler bought the business with two partners when it was going into receivership and
they're now achieving six times the turnover.
Photo: NICOLA MURPHY
By NICOLA MURPHY
OUTPUT
Mrs Higgins produces 1.4
million units of baking per
month, using:
8 tons of butter
8 tons of chocolate
12 tons of sugar
16 tons of flour
Seven years ago Mrs Higgins
Oven Fresh Cookies was a
crumbling business about to
go into receivership.
But a partnership between
qualified pastry chef Markus
Hasler and Murray and
Wendy Brackenridge has
seen the company expand
faster than cookies in a hot
oven.
The trio bought the busi-
ness in November 2004 and
has worked hard to improve
business practices such as
repairing old machinery and
increasing batch sizes to
work more efficiently.
They now employ 40 staff
and have increased the turn-
over by six times what it was
when they bought it.
They have seven Mrs Hig-
gins stores, supply super-
markets and service stations
and 85 percent of vending
machines nationwide.
Mr Hasler and his business
partners are about to take a
chunk out of the Asian mar-
ket in China having sold the
master licence for the brand
to a buyer who will open the
first store in Shanghai on
January 24. Stores in Korea
will be opening in May.
All products are produced
in west Auckland and
delivered as frozen dough to
each shop.
Buying a company in such
a dire financial position
would seem daunting to most
but Mr Hasler was unfazed.
We believe in taking cal-
culated risks. We always
knew it was a quality prod-
uct, he says.
It s taken much hard work
to get the company to where
it is now and it took them six
months to break even.
You don t want to barge
into a place and make
changes before you know how
it all works, Mr Hasler says.
It took better planning
and more efficient ways of
doing things.
For example, a batch of 10
trays takes 30 minutes to
make and a batch of 15 trays
only takes 32 minutes to
make.
This meant the sales and
marketing team could ensure
each order would be delivered
on time, something that pre-
viously wasn t happening.
Now 99 percent of their
deliveries are on time.
Mr Hasler is humble about
the success though.
It s taken a lot of team
work. We pride ourselves on
the fact that when our staff
start here they don t often
leave.
The Asian expansion
doesn t mean any of the staff
will be resting on their
laurels. Our biggest chal-
lenge is the high New Zea-
land dollar because it means
our product has been more
expensive.
Office and special projects
manager Trevor Moyle
attributes the team s success
to enjoying the work.
Producing something you
know you re going to sell well
can be fun.
Operatic
concert
A series of daytime
opera concerts held
across New Zealand
kicks off this month
with the performers
visiting Te Atatu at
the end of February.
The Operatunity
directors and hus-
band and wife team
Susan Boland and
John Cameron lead
the cast and sing a
variety of modern
and more tradi-
tional songs.
The concert is at
the Te Atatu Bap-
tist Church, 448 Old
Te Atatu Rd, at
11am on February
27.Tickets cost $30
and bookings are
essential.
Call Operatunity on
0508-266-237,
email bookings
@operatunity.co.nz
or visit www.
operatunity.co.nz.